Filter array with reduced stray focused light

ABSTRACT

An apparatus is disclosed comprising an optical filter array including an array of optical filter elements; wherein each optical filter element has opposing mutually parallel principal faces connected by sidewalls including at least one pair of opposing trapezoidal sidewalls and at least one pair of opposing sidewalls that are not mutually parallel; and wherein the opposing mutually parallel principal faces of the filter elements collectively define optical entrance and exit apertures of the optical filter array and include interference filters. Further disclosed is a method of illuminating such a filter array.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 15/337,281 filedOct. 28, 2016 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/250,272, filed on Nov. 3, 2015. The completedisclosures of U.S. Ser. No. 15/337,281 and U.S. Ser. No. 62/250,272 arehereby fully incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The following relates to the optical arts, optical filter arts,spectrographic arts, pricing information distribution arts, and relatedarts.

Optical interference filters with high spectral selectivity comprise astack of layers with alternating refractive index values. These filterscan be designed to provide pass-band, stop-band, high-pass, low-pass, ornotch filter output. The optical layers are typically deposited on asubstrate plate that is optically transparent for the design basisspectrum—hence, the filter is sometimes referred to as a filter plate,and is optically uniform over the area of the plate.

On the other hand, an optical interference filter with differentpass-bands or stop-bands or cutoff wavelengths in different areas of theplate is useful for diverse multi-spectral applications such asspectrometer or spectrum analyzer devices. Because it is difficult tocontrollably vary the layer thickness across the substrate plate duringlayer deposition, such a multi-spectral filter is sometimes manufacturedas a so-called “butcher block” filter array. To build a butcher blockfilter array, a set of filter plates with different filtercharacteristics (e.g. different pass-band or stop-band wavelength and/orbandwidth) are formed by appropriate layer depositions. Each filterplate is designed to be uniform over the area of the plate. The filterplates are then diced to form filter elements in the form of stripswhich are then bonded together in a desired pattern to form the butcherblock filter array. A two-dimensional filter array is manufactured by asimilar process except that the filter plates are diced to form filterelements that are then bonded together in a desired two-dimensionalarray.

Some illustrative multi-spectral filter arrays of the foregoing type aredescribed, for example, in Downing et al., U.S. Pub. No. 2014/0307309 A1published Oct. 16, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

Some improvements are disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus comprising an opticalfilter array including an array of optical filter elements; wherein eachoptical filter element has opposing mutually parallel principal facesconnected by sidewalls including at least one pair of opposingtrapezoidal sidewalls and at least one pair of opposing sidewalls thatare not mutually parallel; also wherein the opposing mutually parallelprincipal faces of the filter elements collectively define opticalentrance and exit apertures of the optical filter array and includeinterference filters.

The present disclosure is also directed to a method of providing thefilter array noted above and illuminating the optical filter array withconverging or diverging light having local angle comporting withsidewall angles of the sidewalls of the filter elements.

Additionally, the present disclosure is directed to an apparatusincluding an optical filter array comprising an array of interioroptical filter elements which are not the outermost optical filterelements of the optical filter array; wherein each interior opticalfilter element has larger and smaller opposing mutually parallelprincipal faces connected by sidewalls including at least one pair ofopposing trapezoidal sidewalls and at least one pair of opposingsidewalls that are not mutually parallel; and wherein the largerprincipal faces of the interior optical filter elements comprise adiverging aperture of the optical filter array and the smaller principalfaces of the interior optical filter elements comprise a convergingaperture of the optical filter array.

These and other non-limiting aspects and/or objects of the disclosureare more particularly described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following is a brief description of the drawings, which arepresented for the purposes of illustrating the exemplary embodimentsdisclosed herein and not for the purposes of limiting the same.

FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a side-sectional view of a filter arrayfor filtering converging light in conjunction with light ray tracingsillustrating the converging light and a light detector array.

FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows an isolation side-sectional view of theoptical filter array of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 diagrammatically shows an isolation side-sectional view of oneillustrative optical filter element of the filter array of FIGS. 1 and2.

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7 diagrammatically front side, top, right side, andperspective views, respectively, of the filter array of FIGS. 1 and 2.In FIGS. 4-7 the number of illustrative optical filter elements isreduced to a 4×4 array to reduce drawing complexity.

FIGS. 8, 9, 10, and 11 diagrammatically front side, top, right side, andperspective views, respectively, of a variant filter array for lightthat is converging or diverging in only one dimension, e.g. generated byan illustrated linear or cylindrical light source. As in FIGS. 4-7, inFIGS. 8-11 the number of illustrative optical filter elements is reducedto a 4×4 array to reduce drawing complexity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A more complete understanding of the processes and apparatuses disclosedherein can be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings. Thesefigures are merely schematic representations based on convenience andthe ease of demonstrating the existing art and/or the presentdevelopment, and are, therefore, not intended to indicate relative sizeand dimensions of the assemblies or components thereof.

Although specific terms are used in the following description for thesake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to theparticular structure of the embodiments selected for illustration in thedrawings, and are not intended to define or limit the scope of thedisclosure. In the drawings and the following description below, it isto be understood that like numeric designations refer to components oflike function.

The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise.

The modifier “about” used in connection with a quantity is inclusive ofthe stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (forexample, it includes at least the degree of error associated with themeasurement of the particular quantity). When used with a specificvalue, it should also be considered as disclosing that value. Forexample, the term “about 2” also discloses the value “2” and the range“from about 2 to about 4” also discloses the range “from 2 to 4.”

With reference to FIG. 1, a disadvantage of butcher block type filterarrays recognized herein is that they do not comport with many practicaloptical systems having finite focal planes and operating on convergingor diverging light beams. FIG. 1 illustrates light ray tracings for sucha system having a focal plane P at a finite position along the opticalaxis OA. Due to the finite location of the focal plane P, light passingthrough the optical system (diagrammatically denoted by illustrativelight rays L) forms a cone beam with cone half-angle A as indicated inFIG. 1, which converges at the focal plane P. In illustrative FIG. 1,the light rays L are traveling from left to right in the drawing, andare detected by a detector array 8 located in a plane close to the focalplane P—the light rays L are thus converging rays. Alternatively, if thelight is traveling away from the finite focal plane, for exampleemanating from a compact light source at the focal plane, then the lightrays may be diverging (alternative not shown). In either case, the lightrays form a beam that is either converging (as illustrated) ordiverging.

Butcher block type filter arrays are made up of filter elements in theform of strips (for one-dimensional arrays) or blocks (for twodimensional arrays) that are cut from filter plates. The dicing sawproduces vertical sidewalls for the strips or blocks. Downing et al.,U.S. Pub. No. 2014/0307309 A1 discloses an improvement for use when theangle-of-incidence of the light is not normal to the surface of thefilter array. In designs disclosed in Downing et al, U.S. Pub. No.2014/0307309 A1, the strips or blocks are diced with sidewalls at anangle chosen to comport with the angle of incidence of the light. Thisreduces light scattering and losses at boundaries between filterelements.

It is recognized herein that in the case of converging or diverginglight, such a filter array produces light scattering and losses at theboundaries between adjacent filter elements. This scattering and opticalloss cannot be reduced using the approach of Downing et al., U.S. Pub.No. 2014/0307309 A1, because there is no defined angle of incidence forthe converging or diverging light.

With continuing reference to FIG. 1 and with further reference to FIG.2, an improved optical filter array 10 has optical filter elements 12 a,12 b, 12 c, 12 d, 12 e, 12 f, 12 g, 12 h, 12 i, 12 j with non-parallelsidewalls whose angles are designed, for each filter element (optionallyexcepting outer sidewalls of the outermost filter elements 12 a, 12 jwhich form the perimeter of the filter array 10), to match the localconvergence or divergence angle of the light rays L. The joiningsidewalls of adjacent filter elements are at the same local location onthe surface of the filter array 10, and hence have the same sidewallangle. As recognized herein, this coincidence of neighboring sidewallangles allows the filter elements to be secured together at joiningsidewalls, e.g. using an adhesive or other bond, to form the filterarray 10. By way of illustration, as labeled in FIG. 2 at an interface14 between filter elements 12 b and 12 c the joining side walls of thefilter elements 12 b and 12 c have the same sidewall angle.

As further seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sidewall angle increases withincreasing distance from the optical axis OA so as to conform withincreasing angle of the converging or diverging light beam withincreasing distance from the optical axis OA.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and with further reference toFIG. 3, the sidewalls of a given filter element are not mutuallyparallel. Rather, an inboard sidewall of a given filter element has asmaller sidewall angle than an outboard sidewall (where “inboard” and“outboard” indicate relatively closer to and relatively farther from theoptical axis OA, respectively). By way of illustration, FIG. 3 shows thefilter element 12 d in isolation. For filter element 12 d, an inboardsidewall 16 has a smaller sidewall angle A_(I) (measured off thedirection of the optical axis OA) as compared with the sidewall angleA_(O) of an outboard sidewall 18.

With continuing reference to FIG. 3, for each filter element (e.g.illustrative filter element 12 d) the filter element comprises atransparent substrate or body 20 bounded by four sidewalls 16, 18(including two sidewalls additional to sidewalls 16, 18 which are notdepicted in the side sectional view of FIG. 3) extending betweenopposing principal faces 22, 24. One or both of these principal facesincludes an interference filter, e.g. illustrative principal face 22 offilter element 12 d includes an interference filter 26, which may forexample be deposited by a technique such as sputtering, vacuumevaporation, plasma deposition, or so forth. The interference film 26 istypically made up of a designed stack of layers providing opticalinterference to provide a design-basis pass-band, stop-band, high-pass,low-pass, or notch filter. The wavelength, full-width-at-half-maximum(FWHM), or other spectral characteristics of this interference filter 26are designed for the particular application. Moreover, since the filterarray 10 is typically a multi-spectral filter, each filter element 12 a,12 b, 12 c, 12 d, 12 e, 12 f, 12 g, 12 h, 12 i, 12 j has, in general, adifferent interference filter (although some filter elements may bechosen to be identical—for example if the filter array 10 is intended tobe symmetric about the optical axis OA, then the interference filtersfor filter elements 12 a, 12 j are identical; the interference filtersfor filter elements 12 b, 12 i are identical; the interference filtersfor filter elements 12 c, 12 h are identical; the interference filtersfor filter elements 12 d, 12 g are identical; and the interferencefilters for filter elements 12 e, 12 f are identical). Although notshown, an interference filter may additionally or alternatively beincluded on the principal face 24 of the filter element 12 d.

The filter elements may, in general, be designed for any pass band orstop band in the ultraviolet, visible, or infrared wavelength range. Byway of illustrative example, the filter elements (or more particularlythe filter element body or substrate, e.g. filter element body orsubstrate 20 of the illustrative filter element 12 d of FIG. 3) may bemade of a light-transmissive material such as glass, sapphire, oranother material having suitable transparency in the operational opticalrange. The interference filter 26 may include alternating layers oftantalum oxide (Ta₂O₅) and silicon dioxide (SiO₂), or more generallyalternating layers of two (or more) materials with different refractiveindex values. The layers making up the interference filter 26 are alsopreferably light transmissive for the operational optical range,although since they are thin layers some optical absorption in theoperational optical range may be acceptable. For example, by way ofanother illustrative example, the layers may be metal/metal oxide layerssuch as titanium/titanium dioxide (Ti/TiO₂). Known techniques fordesigning interference filters can be employed to design the layerthicknesses for a given pass-band or notch filter stop-band, or toprovide desired high-pass or low-pass filtering characteristics.

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict the filter 10 in side sectional view. This sideview does not capture the three-dimensional shape of the converginglight L or of the filter array 10.

With reference to FIGS. 4-6, this three-dimensional shape isdiagrammatically depicted by way of front side (FIG. 4), top (FIG. 5),and right side (FIG. 6) views of the filter 10, with FIG. 7 showing aperspective view of the filter 10 in its optical environment includingthe converging light beam L shown in perspective view and the detectorarray 8. In FIGS. 4-7, for diagrammatic simplicity the number of shownfilter elements is reduced to a 4×4 array of filter elements. It will beappreciated that the number of filter elements is a design parametersuitably chosen based on the desired filter resolution and total area ofthe filter array.

The filter elements have the shape of a prismoid with (particularlyreferencing illustrative filter element 12 d of FIG. 3) two mutuallyparallel bases 22, 24 (that is, the bases 22, 24 are parallel to eachother) with the same number of vertices (four vertices for therectangular bases 22, 24 of illustrative filter array 10) and at leasttwo trapezoidal sidewalls 16, 18 which are not parallelograms (due tothe different sidewall angles, e.g. the different angles A_(I), A_(O)for filter element 12 d in illustrative FIG. 3). The two parallel bases22, 24 of the filter elements in the assembled filter array 10collectively define the optical entrance and exit apertures (or viceversa) of the filter array 10, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 7.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 4-7 and with further reference toFIGS. 8-11, for a light beam that is diverging or convergingtwo-dimensionally, all four sidewalls of a filter element aretrapezoidal sidewalls, as best seen in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7. In theseembodiments, each pair of opposing trapezoidal sidewalls (e.g. sidewalls16, 18 of FIG. 3) are not mutually parallel (that is, are not parallelwith each other). On the other hand, as seen in FIGS. 8-11, for a lightbeam that is diverging or converging in only one dimension and isparallel in the orthogonal dimension (for example, generated by acylindrical or line light source 30) and which is to be multi-spectrallyfiltered only in the direction of divergence or convergence, a variantfilter array 40 has filter elements in the form of strips, with eachfilter element having two end sidewalls 46 _(trap) which are trapezoidaland long sidewalls 46 _(par) that are parallelograms. In thisembodiment, the two trapezoidal end sidewalls 46 _(trap) are opposingsidewalls that are mutually parallel (that is, are parallel with eachother), while the two parallelogram long sidewalls 46 _(par) areopposing sidewalls that are not mutually parallel. The a linear orcylindrical light source 30 has a long axis 32 that is parallel with thelong sidewalls 46 _(par) of the filter elements and transverse to thetrapezoidal end sidewalls 46 _(trap).

With reference back to FIGS. 1 and 2, in general, the interior filterelements (that is, the filter element 12 b, 12 c, 12 d, 12 e, 12 f, 12g, 12 h, 12 i which are not the outermost filter elements 12 a, 12 j ofthe filter array 10) have one principal face (the principal face 22 ofFIG. 3) which has larger area than the other principal face (theprincipal face 24 of FIG. 3). The larger-area principal faces of theinterior filter elements collectively comprise a diverging aperture 50of the filter array 10 (labeled in FIG. 2). The smaller-area principalfaces of the interior filter elements collectively comprise a convergingaperture 52 of the filter array 10. In FIGS. 1 and 2 the left side ofthe filter array 10 is the diverging aperture 50 while the right side ofthe filter array 10 is the converging aperture 52. If (as inillustrative FIG. 1) the filter is applied to converging light, then thediverging aperture is the entrance aperture (that is, the converginglight is input to the diverging aperture 50) and the converging apertureis the exit aperture (that is, the converging light exits from thefilter array 10 from the converging aperture 52). Conversely, if thefilter is applied to diverging light (as is the case for the example ofFIG. 11), then the converging aperture (the top aperture of the filterarray 40 as shown in FIG. 11) is the entrance aperture and the divergingaperture (not visible in the perspective view shown in FIG. 11) is theexit aperture.

The outermost filter elements may be an exception to the foregoinggeometry since they may optionally be “squared off” to have non-slantedperimeter sidewalls for the filter array 10 as a whole (this is seen inoutermost filter elements 12 a and 12 j for which the left principalface is smaller than the right principal face), which can impact thearea of the principal faces.

In designing the sidewall angles of the filter elements (e.g., anglesA_(I) and A_(O) for illustrative filter element 12 d of FIG. 3), thelocal angle of the diverging or converging light L at the sidewall istaken into account. This angle is preferably the angle in the materialof the filter elements, rather than the angle in air, due to bending oflight in accordance with Snell's law. The angle θ_(fe) of the light rayin the filter element material is related to the angle θ of the lightray in air by Snell's law, i.e sin(θ)=n_(fe) sin(θ_(fe)) where n_(fe) isthe refractive index of the filter element, and the ambient is assumedto be air, vacuum, or another ambient with refractive index n=1. Forexample, if the local light ray angle is θ=15° at the filter elementsidewall and n_(fe)=1.5, then θ_(fe)≅10° and the sidewall at thislocation is suitably chosen as 10°. (If the ambient is oil or some othermaterial with n_(ambient) different from unity, then Snell's lawgeneralizes to n_(ambient) sin(θ)=n_(fe) sin(θ_(fe))). The filterelements may be fabricated in various ways, such as by initially dicingparallelepiped filter elements and then grinding individual diced filterelements to form the sidewall angles. Alternatively, the dicing canemploy suitably angled cutting saws or an angled wafer mounting jig.

It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and otherfeatures and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirablycombined into many other different systems or applications. It will befurther appreciated that various presently unforeseen or unanticipatedalternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may besubsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended tobe encompassed by the following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: an optical filterarray comprising an array of optical filter elements; wherein at leastinterior optical filter elements of the array of optical filter elementseach has opposing mutually parallel principal faces connected bysidewalls including at least one pair of opposing trapezoidal sidewallsand at least one pair of opposing sidewalls that are not mutuallyparallel; wherein the opposing mutually parallel principal faces of theoptical filter elements collectively define optical entrance and exitapertures of the optical filter array and include interference filters.2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each interior optical filter elementis a strip with sidewalls including one pair of opposing trapezoidal endsidewalls and one pair of opposing long sidewalls that are not mutuallyparallel.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising: a linear orcylindrical light source having a long axis parallel with the longsidewalls of the interior optical filter elements.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 1 further comprising: an optical system configured to generateconverging or diverging light wherein at least one pair of opposingsidewalls of each interior optical filter element is aligned with alocal angle of the converging or diverging light.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the principal faces of the interior optical filterelements have larger areas at one of the optical entrance aperture andoptical exit aperture than the other of the optical entrance apertureand optical exit aperture.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein theoptical filter elements comprise: a plurality of optical filter elementsof different optical filter types defined by different interferencefilters.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interference filters ofthe optical filter elements comprise pass-band filters or notch filters.8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: the opposing mutually parallelprincipal faces of each interior optical filter element include largerand smaller opposing mutually parallel principal faces connected by theat least one pair of opposing trapezoidal sidewalls and the at least onepair of opposing sidewalls that are not mutually parallel; and thelarger principal faces of the interior optical filter elements comprisea diverging aperture of the optical filter array and the smallerprincipal faces of the interior optical filter elements comprise aconverging aperture of the optical filter array.
 9. The apparatus ofclaim 8 further comprising one of: (i) an optical system generatingconverging light that enters the optical filter array at the divergingaperture and exits the optical filter array at the converging aperture,or (ii) an optical system generating diverging light that enters theoptical filter array at the converging aperture and exits the opticalfilter array at the diverging aperture.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1wherein adjacent interior optical filter elements of the optical filterarray are secured together at joining sidewalls.
 11. An apparatuscomprising: a linear array of optical filter elements including twooutermost optical filter elements and interior optical filter elementsdisposed between the two outermost optical filter elements; wherein eachinterior optical filter element has opposing mutually parallel principalfaces connected by a pair of opposing parallelogram sidewalls that arenot mutually parallel and by a pair of opposing trapezoidal sidewalls;wherein the opposing mutually parallel principal faces of the opticalfilter elements collectively define optical entrance and exit aperturesof the linear array and include interference filters; and whereinadjacent interior optical filter elements are secured together atjoining parallelogram sidewalls.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 whereineach interior optical filter element is a strip with the opposingtrapezoidal sidewalls disposed at opposite ends of the strip.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 12 further comprising: a linear or cylindrical lightsource having a long axis parallel with the parallelogram sidewalls ofthe interior optical filter elements.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13wherein the linear or cylindrical light source is configured to generateconverging or diverging light wherein each parallelogram sidewall of theinterior optical filter elements is aligned with a local angle of theconverging or diverging light.
 15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein theprincipal faces of the interior optical filter elements have largerareas at one of the optical entrance aperture and optical exit aperturethan the other of the optical entrance aperture and optical exitaperture.
 16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the optical filterelements comprise: a plurality of optical filter elements of differentoptical filter types defined by different interference filters.
 17. Theapparatus of claim 11 wherein the interference filters of the opticalfilter elements comprise pass-band filters or notch filters.